Once uncountably numerous, the native Delta smelt since 2016 has largely vanished from most annual sampling surveys in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But in December, state and federal biologists began for the first time ever releasing captively bred adult Delta smelt into the Delta’s waterways in a three-year effort to draw the species away from the brink of extinction.

By giving the Delta smelt’s population a slight boost, the project – its managers hope – will buy precious time for sluggish habitat improvement efforts to make the Delta once more a livable place for the tiny finger-sized fish.

In our latest article, Western Water explored what’s ahead for these experimental releases, the hopes of the agencies involved and the skepticism surrounding whether it will work.

The Delta is the West Coast’s largest freshwater tidal estuary and California’s most crucial water and ecological resource. The Foundation has two publications that can help deepen your understanding of this vital hub for water, farming, recreation and wildlife habitat — our Layperson’s Guide to the Delta, and our poster-sized Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map. 

Western Water has been providing in-depth coverage of water resource issues in California and the West since 1977 — first as a print magazine and now published entirely online. The Water Education Foundation’s journalists — Jenn Bowles, who serves as executive editor of Western Water, and editor Doug Beeman — bring deep experience covering natural resources in California and the West.

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